Support for electric lamp holder



June 2, 1964 J. A. KIRLIN 3,135,490

SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC LAMP HOLDER Filed Jan. 19, 1962 J5 5% INVENTOR.

32%?? /7 Kir/27V United States PatentV Oiilice 3,135,490 Patented June 2, 1964 3,135,490 SUPFRT FR ELECTRIC LAMP HOLDER l John A. Kiriin, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., assigner to The Kirlin Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of iiichigan Filed Ian. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 167,351 14 Ciaims. (Ci. 24S- 229) This invention relates to a support for eiectric lamp holders or the like and more particularly to means for attaching an electric lamp socket to a support.

Une of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this type which is simple in design and construction, whereby it may be quickly and economically manufactored by easy stamping operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for an element which may be assembled with facility and in which the element will extend outwardly of the surface to which it is attached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a socket supporting means in which the socket may be attached andsupported in a number of locations to properly position the same with respect to its surrounding environment.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are obtainedby providing a longitudinally bowed or curved clamping member formed of spring steel or other suitable material having ends which move under tangs of a supporting member. The ends may have one or more support engaging prongs and two or more socket engaging or gripping prongs extending at an angle thereto. VAttachment is accomplished by placing said clamping member on a support providedk with spaced apertures and pressing the so-cket against said clamping member to flex or hatten it to cause said supportengaging prongs to engage said apertures and said socket engaging prongs to Vgrip the socket. More specifically,

the flexing or flattening of the spring steel clamping mem-` ber causes said support engaging prongs to move out-` wardly or away from one another to engage the apertures or other means on the supporting surface to which Y the lamp holder is. to be attached, to secure the clamping member to said supporting surface. At the same time, the socket engaging prongs move laterally or toward one another in a substantially parallel direction with respect to the clamping member, whereby hooked ends thereof engage opposed complementary shoulder or ledge portions on the socket or lamp holder to grip the Same and resist displacement of the socket due to the reaction of the flattened spring steel clamping member.

The various objects and advantages, and the novel details of construction of the invention, will become more apparent as this description proceeds especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional, elevational view of a recessed lighting xture showing one application of the invention;

. attaching means shown in FIGURE, 1 with the light bulb t removed;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line III-III in FIGURE 2; 1

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 before the socket is engaged with the device; j

FIGURE 5 is an unclamped plan view of a clamping member;

FIGURE 6 is a detached perspective View of the clamp- I ing member, showing another form thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a similar view of a clamping member, showing a further form thereof;

FIGURE 8 is a View of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 3, showing another form thereof;

FIGURE 9 isa View of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 4, showing a further form of the invention;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 9, taken on the line Iii-10 thereof;

FIGURE 1l is a View of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 8, showing a still further form of the invention;

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 11, taken on the line 12-1Z thereof, and

FIGURE 13 is a plan View of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 7, showing still another form thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that the invention is shown in an environment which consists of the recess box 10 of a recessed lighting fixture. As conventional parts of such recessed lighting iixture, there are provided a reflector 11, a lens supporting frame 12, and a lens 13. The reference character 14 indicates a lamp holder or socket for receiving a light bulb 15. The lamp holder or socket 14 is shown secured to the side wall 16 of the recess box 1t?, but as this description proceeds it will be apparent that the device of this invention may be employed for supporting an electric lamp holder or socket in many other environments.

As shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, the device of this invention provides means for attaching an electric lamp socket to a flat surface shown here as the Wall 16 of the recess box It?. However, it is possible to use the invention to attach the socket to curved and irregular Surfaces. The wall portion 16 is provided with a plurality of apertures 20 which may be formed by a simple stamping operation to provide opposed open ended re'-v nally bowed or curved'. At one end this clamping member is provided with one or more projections or prongs 234 and at its other end with one or more projections or prongs 2e", These projections are adapted to engage in the open ends 21 of the apertures 2t) to secure the clamping member to a atgsurface such as the wall 1'6. The prongs or projections 24 are shown as being longer than the projections 25 so that in assembling the clamping member, the prongs or projections 24 may be inserted in one set of apertures 20 and the ends of the prongs 25 positioned adjacent the open ends of the opposed apertures 20 prior to assembling the device, as

shown in FIGURE 4.

Extending approximately perpendicularly to the body 23 of the clamping member 22 are one or more pairs of socket engaging members or gripping prongs 27. The end of each prong 27 is provided with a return bent portion forming substantially hook-shaped portions 28. When the body of the clampingmember is flexed or flattened by the engagement therewith of the socket member, the gripping prongs 27 are caused to move laterally toward one another in a substantially parallel direction with respect to the clamping member to thus engage and grip the socket. The socket 14 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed shoulders or ledge portions 29 which can have at faces or which maybe recessed at 3i) to trap the hook portions 28 and prevent it from bridging between the flat face and the cylindrical body portion. Thus when the socket member is engaged with the clamping member, the hook-shaped portions 28 extend over the ledges or shoulders 29, as shown in FIGURE 3.

As shown in FIGURE 7, the clamping member 22 may be provided with single prongs or projections 24a and 25a at each end which may conveniently be formed from the material of the prongs 27.

In attaching the lamp holder or socket 14, the clamping member 22 is laid upon the flat surface 16 with the longer prongs or projections 24 in engagement with the apertures at one side of the device and with the prongs or projections 25 in alignment with the openings 21 of the opposed apertures 20. The socket 14 is then pressed against the clamping member to flex or flatten it from the position shown in FIGURE 4 to that shown in FIGURE 3. This causes the prongs 25 to move outwardly or away from the prongs 24 and to engage the adjacent apertures 2t) to secure the clamping member to the supporting surface. At the same time, the socket engaging prongs 27 move laterally or toward one another in a substantially parallel direction with respect to the clamping member whereby the hooked ends 28 hook over the shoulders or ledges 29 on the base of the socket and grip and secure the same to resist displacement of the socket due to the reaction of the flattened spring steel clamping member. This is the position of the parts illustrated in FIGURE 3. The connection thus formed holds the socket rigidly in place spaced from the supporting surface a distance subsbtantially equal to the thickness of the clamping member when the surface is flat.

The socket may be removed by forcing one of the hookshaped ends of the socket engaging prongs over the shoulder 29. If, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, a plurality of sets of apertures 20 are provided, a socket 14 may be attached to the supporting surface 16 in any one of a number of positions by first properly locating the clamping member 22 and then assembling the parts as is hereinbefore pointed out.

In FIGURE 8, a further form of clamping member 35 is illustrated which is similar to the clamping member 22 with the exception that the hooked ends 28 are omitted and instead the socket engaging prongs 27 have inwardly projected top flanges 36. The flanges engage the top of the ledge portions 29 and prevent the central portion of the bowed strip 23 from moving outwardly thereby locking the socket to the side wall 16.

In FIGURES 9 and 10, a still further form of clamping member 38 is illustrated that wherein the bowed body portion 23 having the projecting prongs 24 and 25 is provided with outwardly extending flanges 39 and 41 containing an aperture 42. The apertures receive pins 43 in an article 44 to be supported as illustrated in FIGURE 11. Since the article cannot move outwardly of the clamping member 38, it is secured thereby to the wall.

In FIGURES 11 and 12, a still further form of the invention is illustrated that wherein a clamping member 45 has a pair of outwardly extending fingers 39 and 41 containing a slot 42 for extending over fingers 43 of the article 44 as pointed out above. Aligned fingers 46 extend from the opposite side of the strip 23 having flanges 47 on the ends which extend over the rear face of the wall 16 and secure the article 44 to the wall. In this arrangement, through apertures 48 are provided in the wall instead of the deflected wall portions which form the apertures 2t).

From the construction shown and described, it will be obvious that the device comprises a single part which may be manufactured by easy stamping operations and which may be assembled or disassembled with facility. Also, the wall portion 16 may be in the form of a separate plate which might be attached by screws, rivets or the like to any suitable support.

In FIGURE 5, a clamping member 50 is illustrated having a bowed body portion 51 from which T-shaped end sections extend upwardly. The T-shaped sections 52 move into substantially parallel relationship when the bowed body portion 51 is flattened. When flattened, the head portions 53 of the end sections 52 extend over bifurcated projections at opposite sides of an element which is to be secured by the member. A pair of finger 54 in a plate or wall are spaced lengthwise and transversely to receive the body portion 51 and to permit the T-shaped end sections 52 to pass therebetween. One end of the body portion 51 is inserted under a pair of fingers 54 and when the body portion 51 is flattened, the opposite end moves under the opposite pair of fingers 54 to securely anchor the body portion to the plate or wall having the fingers struck outwardly therefrom. The fingers are shown as supported at opposite ends, and it is to be understood that such tabs can be supported therefrom at opposite sides rather than at the opposite ends as illustrated.

In FIG. 6, a clamping member 22 is illustrated, similar to that of FIGS. 3 and 4, with the exception that the portions 27 are of arcuate shape and the ends 28 are offset downwardly therefrom. The ends 28 form detents which are held in recesses in the socket flange by the spring of the arcuate portions 27.

In FIGURE 13, a clamping member 55 is illustrated having a bowed body portion 56 from the opposite ends of which flanges 57 extend upwardly. Each of the flanges has an aperture 58 therein which permits aligned fingers 59 to extend therethrough over the ends of the bowed portion 56 to secure it to a plate or a wall when the bowed body portion is flattened thereagainst. It is to be understood that one end of the bowed body portion 51 or 56 may have the T-shaped end section 52 on one end and the aperture flange 57 on the opposite end. This would require one pair of fingers 54 to be provided at one end of the wall or plate while a single finger 59 would be provided at the opposite end thereof. Such an arrangement would permit an element having a bifurcated section at one side and a pin or like projection at the opposite side to be secured by the end sections when the bowed body portion is flattened. The device lends itself to many modifications of the various portions of the elements herein illustrated to attach different elements to a plate or wall.

It will be obvious that other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clamping member, a normally bowed strip of spring material, projecting finger means at the end of said strip in continuation of said bow and spaced gripping means extending from said strip inwardly of the fingers so related as to move into locking relationship with an article when moved therebetween to flatten the bow and advance the ends and fingers into locking relation with a support.

2. A clamping member as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of fingers are employed at each end of said strip.

3. A clamping member as recited in claim 2 wherein the gripping means have hooked ends facing inwardly for engaging projections on an article which locks both the article and the member in secured position.

4. In a clamping member, a normally bowed spring strip, attaching fingers at the end of said strip in continuation of the bow, and spaced finger means extending outwardly from said strip for engaging projections on an article moved therebetween to debow the strip and extend the fingers into locking relation to an element while locking the article in fixed relation thereto in a manner to prevent the bowing of the strip and its release from the element.

5; In a clamping member, a normally bowed spring strip, a pair of aligned oppositely extending fingers at the ends of said strip in continuation of the bow thereof, said fingers on opposite sides of the strip being similar and said strip having securing means therebetween extending outwardly from one side of the strip which when securing an element to the strip secures the strip to a wall by the debowing of the strip.

6. In a clamping member, a normally bowed spring strip, finger means on the ends of said strip in continuation of said bow, spaced element gripping means extending from one side of said strip, said fingers being urged into apertures on a supporting Wall when the strip is debowed by the element forced thereagainst to have said element locked to the clamping member by said gripping means, the lock resulting therefrom securing the element to the clamping member and the clamping member to the wall.

7. In a clamping member for a socket element having projections, said member embodying a normally bowed spring strip having fingers at the ends in extension of said bow, additional fingers extending from the convex side of said strip for engaging the projections on the socket element when the socket element is forced against the strip to reduce the bow thereof and to secure the clamping member to a wall by the extension of the said end lingers.

8.A clamping member as recited in claim 7 wherein said additional lingers have hooks thereon for extending over the projections on said socket element.

9. A clamping member as recited in claim 7 in which said additional ngers have apertures therein which move into locking relation with projections on said socket element.

10. In a clamping member as recited in claim 7 wherein the fingers at the ends of the bowed strip move outwardly as the ends of the additional fingers move inwardly into locked relation with the socket element when clamping it to the strip.

CTI

11. In a clamping member, a normally bowed spring strip, a pair of securing elements extending outwardly from one side of the strip inwardly of the ends thereof leaving extending portions in continuation of the bow by which the strip is clamped to a wall, plate or other element when the bowed portion of the spring strip is flattened by an article which locks the securing elements thereto.

12. A clamping member as recited in claim 11, wherein the projecting end portions are of T shape.

13. A clamping member as recited in claim 1l, wherein the securing elements have an aperture therein which exposes the center portion of the ends of the bowed spring portion.

14. In a clamping member, a normally bowed spring strip having extending ends in continuation of the bow, spaced outwardly extending anges on one side of the strip having securing means incorporated therein, said securing means moving inwardly toward each other for engaging means on an element when the element flattens the bowed spring strip, and means for locking the securing means to the element when the strip is flattened.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,166,916 Lombard July 18, 1939 2,275,773 Kost Mar. 10, 1942 2,414,986 Tinnerman Jan. 28, 1947 2,627,385 Tinnerman Feb. 3, 1953 2,632,929 Poupitch Mar. 31, 1953 2,658,248 Kost Nov. 10, 1953 2,778,930 Harrington Ian. 22, 1957 2,817,131 Seegers Dec. 14, 1957 

1. IN A CLAMPING MEMBER, A NORMALLY BOWED STRIP OF SPRING MATERIAL, PROJECTING FINGER MEANS AT THE END OF SAID STRIP IN CONTINUATION OF SAID BOW AND SPACED GRIPPING MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID STRIP INWARDLY OF THE FINGERS SO RELATED AS TO MOVE INTO LOCKING RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ARTICLE WHEN MOVED THEREBETWEEN TO FLATTEN THE BOW AND ADVANCE THE ENDS AND FINGERS INTO LOCKING RELATION WITH A SUPPORT. 